Hooded cartons having a hinged, flip-top cover are well known and generally, although not exclusively, used to contain fungible material, such as soap powder or ice cream. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,078,030 (to Gorton), 3,283,991 (to Hughes) and 5,033,622 (to DePasquale et al.) are fairly representative of this type of carton in that each of the patents discloses a box or carton having a cover or hood with a skirt. The carton disclosed in the Gorton patent is intended to be opened and closed a number of times, and the patent refers to flip-top boxes, such as cigarette boxes, that may have an additional piece of paperboard secured to the upper front portion of the box to engage the top when closed. The Gorton patent also notes that such boxes may use inner and outer boxes to achieve box strength and to aid in retaining the top in its closed position. The DePasquale et al. and Hughes patents disclose examples of the well-known "ice cream" cartons. None of the aforementioned Hughes, Gorton and DePasquale et al. patents discloses handles for carrying the subject cartons.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,910,487 (to Jaeschke) and 4,048,052 (to Tolaas) disclose cartons having a hinged, flip-top cover movable back into a closed position after being opened. The Jaeschke carton includes an extended glue flap positioned against the inside of the front panel to serve as a liner panel. The glue flap is foldably connected to the bottom panel of the carton, but according to Jaeschke, a separate panel could be used to form the liner. Neither of the Jaeschke or Tolaas patents discloses a carrying handle.
Cartons with integral carrying handles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,378,905 and 4,546,914 (both to Roccaforte, the inventor of the present invention). The handle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,914 is a reinforced 3-ply elongated handle panel formed from a portion of the outer top panel of the carton. U.S. Pat. No. 2,995,739 (to Collura) discloses a somewhat similar carton and handle, but none of the Collura patent or the two Roccaforte patents discloses or suggests how an integral strap-like handle could be integrated with a hooded or flip-top carton.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,420 (to Gunn et al.) discloses a hooded package with handle. The handle is a separate flat strap-like handle having an arrowhead shaped tip at each end. It is attached to the package by inserting the tips into openings in the side walls of the package. The package requires a liner to prevent the contents from leaking out at the point where the handle is attached, and also to provide a structure for the hood or lid to rest on when closed. In one embodiment of the package, the liner is formed by the flaps of the outer body of the package, and thus, there is no need to attach a separate liner. Although the handle disclosed by Gunn et al. can be used to carry the package after the hood is opened, the handle is not formed integrally with the package and the package requires multi-ply side panels to prevent the contents from leaking out of the package.
The above-noted patents disclose improvements in recloseable hooded or flip-top cartons, but none discloses a hooded carton with an integral handle formed from the same single-piece blank from which the carton is formed. The Gunn et al. patent suggests the desirability of providing hooded cartons with a handle, but the Gunn et al. handle is a separate strap handle attached to the package after the package is formed. As pointed out in the Gunn et al. patent, discretely formed separate handles, their attaching elements, and the process of attaching such handles are expensive. Additionally, the Gunn et al. package and handle arrangement requires a liner to maintain the integrity of the package, thereby increasing the consumption of expensive paperboard or other stock material and complicating the fabrication process.
A recloseable hooded carton for containing particulate or granular products which is easy to open and reclose securely, yet which includes an integral carrying handle and can be produced efficiently and inexpensively, would be a decided improvement over the hooded containers known at present.